Victoria film festival adds art, live music, more movies

In a few days, Victoria will become a bustling Tinsel Town with film directors, actors, musicians and artists filling the streets of downtown.

The Victoria TX Independent Film Festival begins Thursday featuring live music, outdoor film screenings and more.

Anthony Pedone, executive director of the festival, said he was excited to bring more industry collaborations to the festival this year.

"It's about continuing relationships with other people," Pedone said of planning the four-day event.

He's put together a list of more than 50 films for this year's festival and expanded to more movie venues, including the Nave Museum, Golden Gecko and the Victoria school district's Fine Arts Center.

Each day, films will show at the various locations with tickets ranging from $5 to $25 dollars and $125 for all-access wristbands.

Not forgetting the talent in the area, Pedone chose a group of film jurors right out of Victoria's backyard.

Nave Museum Executive Director Amy Leissner is a returning juror for the film festival. Having been a part of last year's event, which had a shorter list of films, she said she was impressed by all the films Pedone put together this year and is excited to be a part of it again.

The Nave Museum, she said, will host two outdoor screenings during the festival Friday and Saturday, something she has been working closely with Pedone to arrange. She said the two of them have been working on perfecting the way the outdoor screening will be projected directly onto the Nave's west-facing exterior wall.

"I'm excited about the films showing at the Nave - 'The Cardboard Bernini' and 'The Missing Pieces' - because they both have a connection with art," Leissner said.

Despite the availability of streaming movies directly to televisions or laptops, Pedone said he hopes people will come out and enjoy the films in a real movie setting.

"I look forward to seeing the people respond to this cultural invasion going on," he said. "I want to see people react and enjoy what we're bringing to them. I guess I enjoy that the most - seeing people have a good time."